Marked by Ashes
Ruler of the Night, Guarantor of the day . . .This day — a gift
from you.
This day — like none other you have ever given, or we have ever
received.
This Wednesday dazzles us with gift and newness and
possibility.
This Wednesday burdens us with the tasks of the day, for we are
already halfway home
halfway back to committees and
memos,
halfway back to calls and appointments,
halfway on to
next Sunday,
halfway back, half frazzled, half expectant,
half
turned toward you, half rather not.
This Wednesday is a long way from Ash Wednesday,
but all our Wednesdays
are marked by ashes —
we begin this day with that taste of ash in our
mouth:
of failed hope and broken promises,
of forgotten
children and frightened women,
we ourselves are ashes to ashes, dust to
dust;
we can taste our mortality as we roll the ash around on our
tongues.
We are able to ponder our ashness with
some confidence, only because
our every Wednesday of ashes
anticipates your Easter victory over that
dry, flaky taste of death.
On this Wednesday, we submit our ashen way to you —
you Easter parade
of newness.
Before the sun sets, take our Wednesday and Easter
us,
Easter us to joy and energy and courage and freedom;
Easter
us that we may be fearless for your truth.
Come here and Easter our
Wednesday with
mercy and justice and peace and generosity.
We pray as we wait for the Risen One who comes soon.
- Walter Brueggemann
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